The Toronto Raptors have been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA so far this season, but they ran into an issue of class on Tuesday night. Despite running the table in group play and earning a home game in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, the Raptors were blown out by the New York Knicks 117-101 as New York advanced to the semifinals in Las Vegas.
Toronto lacked impactful scoring from any one player in this game, including center Jakob Poeltl. The veteran big man scored efficiently, but got just seven shots up on his way to 10 points in 25 minutes.
When Poeltl is involved, it gives the Toronto offense an easy button that can help take some of the pressure off of some of the perimeter players. After the loss, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic pinpointed some ways that Poeltl can stay involved without relying on the ball handlers to get him the ball.
Darko on how Jak can regain his rhythm:
“I don’t think it’s a question of touching the ball more necessarily. It’s the rhythm to get a rebound, it’s the rhythm to not turn the ball over in transition.”
“The only way how you get through that is through work and by playing… https://t.co/cUMXNtWC4l pic.twitter.com/kkiNeZYSrL
— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) December 10, 2025
“I don’t think it’s a question of touching the ball more necessarily,” Rajakovic said. “It’s the rhythm to get a rebound, it’s the rhythm to not turn the ball over in transition. … The only way how you get through that is through work and by playing. He needs to play through some of those mistakes. I think he’s going to get back to being himself.”
Brandon Ingram led the Raptors with 31 points, nit no other Raptor hit the 20-point mark, which has been somewhat of a common theme in the games where Toronto has struggled to score. Against a Knicks team with a lot of talented individual defenders, you saw that become a challenge throughout the night.
On the other side, all five Knicks starters finished in double figures while Jordan Clarkson added 12 off the bench. Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 35 points and the Knicks are moving on in large part because of his efforts.
While it's certainly disappointing for the Raptors not to make it to Las Vegas, the NBA Cup and this season so far as a whole are still very promising for Toronto. At the moment, the Raptors are 13-11 and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They look like a team that will be contending for a playoff spot for the rest of the season, and games like Tuesday's can be a valuable learning experience for a young team getting its feet wet in a crowded conference.
